The Day When Katniss Saw Gale's Butt
by Becky L. Sly
Summary: Gale thought it was a good day to swim in the lake.


**Author:** Becky L. Sly  
**Title: **The Day When Katniss Saw Gale's Butt  
**Genre: **Humor  
**Rating: **T

**I don't own anything. All character belongs to Suzanne Collins. Including Gale's butt.**

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**THE DAY WHEN KATNISS SAW GALE'S BUTT****  
**_by Becky L. Sly_

The Capitol anthem sounded very low through the television set at the Hawthorne's house, announcing the end of the 73th Hunger Game. The victor of that year, a young boy from District 1, raised his hand to the air, celebrating his victory. It didn't even look like he had killed that girl from District 7 just a couple of seconds ago. Gale felt disgust about that guy that he even know. He felt the rage boil inside him. He couldn't be there anymore second; he needed to take a deep breath or else he'd start punching things.

"I'm going out" he said as he grabbed his jacked and walked towards the door. He glanced at his mother who nodded at him in understanding before he slapped the door behind him.

The people were milling about outside their homes now that the Games were over. Bit by bit, people returned to their old routines, except for the two families who'd be distraught by their children's gory deaths for the rest of their lives. That year a twelve years old girl had been reaped. Gale couldn't remember her name, however he was able to remember her scream and her mother anguish when they were torn apart. The girl died the first eve of the Games, and Gale swore he could hear the cry her family emitted that same dawn.

He shook his head with that last thought. He needed to relax, think about other things. He moved quickly and stealthily towards the electrocuted fence.

Since it was obligatory to watch all the games, the electric fence functioned perfectly for the duration of the Games, effectively trapping Gale and Katniss inside the fence so that neither of them could scurry underneath and hunt. Now that the Games were over the fence was off and Gale could easily slip underneath. He trotted towards the line of trees.

He walked to the hollow log, where he and Katniss stored their hunting weapons, and grabbed his bow. He noticed that Katniss's bow was there and he wondered if she would make her way to the forest that day as well. _She'd probably stay with her sister today, _he thought. He felt his heart throb a little. He covered the log again with some leaves and headed away from it, eyes and ears attuned.

There weren't many animals walking in the open that afternoon. Probably because it was so hot that, they preferred to hide in their holes to protect themselves from the heat. Nevertheless, Gale wasn't paying much attention for the actual act of hunting that day. He kept walking aimlessly, without worrying about not making noise to scare away any animal that were out and about. He continued walking until he reached the shores of the lake – the special lake that he and Katniss always hung around. He climbed some rocks that sprouted from the bank and sat on the paramount.

A breeze passed past Gale, and he exhaled in gratitude. He leaned over the edge carelessly, getting distracted by the cool air and then displaced his balance completely, toppling over the edge of the rock and sliding into the water. At last second, he grabbed a ledge and tanked himself back up. But he was unable to prevent his bow from slipping off of him and landing with a flat slap into the water.

"Perfect" he muttered, looking down morosely. He jumped off the stones into the shallow part of the water and reached his bow. The water was cold, which gave relief to Gale's heated skin. He looked to the lake and thought about the last time he had swam. He hadn't in a long time. Actually, it happened last summer, he was with Katniss. He grinned, recalling the memory.

Gale looked around to see if anybody was around be force of habit, when he sighted no one, he dropped his bow on the sand and started to unbutton his shirt. He was all sweaty and a lake bath would be more than welcome. He dropped his skirt on the ground and next he flung his pants off and threw in the general vicinity of his shirt and shoes. Completely nude, he dashed into the cold water with a boyish grin.

It was extremely refreshing to swim again. His whole body sighed in comfort. He dunked underneath the surface several times, wetting his hair and refreshing his face. He came up and the water droplets in his hair dripped down in front of his face and down his cheeks. He floated on his back, ears submerged underneath the meniscus and focused on the thick silence only the water in his hears could offer.

Gale felt like a child at that moment. He couldn't stop himself from swimming laps, turning like a dancer, pressing his feet into the squishy, muddy ground or tasting the lake water. He was so carefree ate the moment that he could barely remember that not a long ago he had been so disgusted with the Games. Now, Gale was happy. He was truly happy.

He made a mental note to thank Katniss, as soon as he saw her, for having taught him to swim.

Suddenly Gale heard a noise. He only kept his head above the water, his eyes scanning the perimeter warily. He was looking mindfully to the lake's shores, hoping to see Katniss standing there. Unfortunately, it was lynx standing at the edge of the water; tongue lapping up water for a drink.

Gale was still as a statue, watching the animal, worried that it could enter the water and swim towards him. But, the poor animal was dehydrated from the heat as well, and it lain down on the top of Gale's clothes and bow.

"You've got to be kidding me" Gale exclaimed quietly with widened eyes.

The Lynx was preventing Gale from getting dressed. He sure as hell wasn't going to bolt nude from the safety of the water and try to strangle it with his bare hands. But it was on top of his clothes and his bow, so that was his only option. Aggravated, Gale got out of the water on the other side of the bank and searched for something strong enough to hit the large feline. He picked up three largish stones with uncertainty.

The feline has stood up and was digging thought Gale's belongs with its snout. Gale aimed. When the stone hit the animal, it whipped its head angrily at Gale. He threw the second stone. The animal roared that time.

"C'mon" grunted Gale, threating the animal. He held the last stone and threw it. The animal instead of charging moved away from Gale's clothes.

"Let this be a lesson" said Gale, very pleased with himself for scaring a lynx. He concluded that he deserved some more time swimming as his reward.

He lifted his weight over the water and started to float over the smooth surface. He looked up to the sky in time to see some birds flying away. His eyes burned a little because of the sun's brightness, so he closed them. He continued to float over the water, completely in ecstasy.

Suddenly he heard the noise again. He turned his head to the bank and saw the lynx again. However, instead of it on top of his clothes, Gale froze when he noticed this, but the animal was holding his pants in its mouths. Gale got out of the water again and approached cautiously.

"Ok. Easy" he cooed, with his hands up, trying to calm the lynx down. "You won. Now, please, don't run away with my pants" he begged

Gale was just a few feet from his bow, but the feline ran away unhesitatingly. Gale, awkwardly, ran after the lynx. He yelled and tried to hit the animal with whatever he found in his way to avoid the lynx to enter into the woods with his pants. For five minutes, Gale chased the lynx.

Gale stopped running for catch his breath. The feline stopped, mockingly looked Gale in eyes and shook his mouth the dangling pants. It was out of reach from Gale. He growled back at the large cat and was ready to start running again when he heard another sound that made a shiver down his spine.

"Gale?" said Katniss.

She was surprised to see her friend standing there, in the middle of the woods, completely naked to be honest. She was going to meet him when she noticed Gale running after some animal. When she approached, she realized his situation.

So there se was, looking at Gale's bare butt.

Katniss was embarrass for both of them but stifling her laughter just barely. Gale turned himself to face Katniss. She was downcast for seeing him like that. Katniss looked to the other side when she realized that Gale was standing right in front of her, showing _all _he could to her. He tried to cover his body with his hands.

"Hum…I can explain" he started saying, feeling his face flushed. Katniss was still looking away.

"No…" she said before cleanring her throat. "It's fine" she said extremely embarrassed for him.

"It was hot so I decided to take a bath –" he started but she shook her head, laughing but cringing.

"Yes, I guessed that"

"Yeah" he said, so ashamed that he didn't know what to do. He cursed that lynx.

Katniss took a deep breath and slightly turned her head towards him, regretting herself after doing it.

"Gale?"

"Yes?"

"I can still see it"

"Fuck", turned his back to Katniss, completely ashamed.

"Well… I should go" said Katniss, starting to walk slowly away from Gale.

"Wait" he said over he shoulder and Katniss stopped. He swallowed hard and continued to say.

"I need you to do me a favor"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to go catch my pants," said Gale and Katniss looked at him astonished. He took a deep breath and continued. "That lynx… he grabbed my pants"

"Well, okay" she said. He looked to Katnnis and saw the she was straight-faced. She nodded to him and headed to the woods in the direction that cursed lynx had gone.

Gale walked towards the rocks and sat on one of them, hoping his friend could found his pants to him. After a while Katniss appeared. Gale grabbed his skirt from the ground and covered himself with that.

"Here" she handed the pants to him and he grabbed them gratefully, thanking her.

"Did you kill the lynx?"

"No" she shrugged. Gale frowned at her answer. "It didn't seem right"

Katniss turned her back to Gale so he could have some privacy to put his pants on. When he was all dressed up, he grabbed his bow and started to walk ahead of Katniss. She looked ate him and noticed that his pants had bite marks in the regions of the thighs and the back pockets. She held the laughter in, bit her lip and followed him.

They walked towards the District 12 in a silence. When they passed through the gap of the electrocuted fence, Gale muttered something over his shoulders and walked quickly away from Katniss.

"See you later" he finally said before heading to his house as fast as he could. Gale just thought how much he hated the Lynx at that time more than anything.

Katniss nodded and headed towards her house, sure that she wouldn't forget easily the scene she had just seen.

The rest of the day passed without any other event.

The lynx was still in the woods.

Gale did not speak to Katniss for two days after that.

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**A/N: ImaginationStation00 and Deh Malfoy, thank you for being the beta readers of this fic. Please do not forget to submit me your reviews and check out my other Hunger Games's fics.**


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